


Dreamer in the Dark

by xompeii



Category: King Falls AM (Podcast)
Genre: Dreams, Gen, M/M, Nightmares, Sharing a Bed, Sleep talking
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-20
Updated: 2019-08-20
Packaged: 2020-09-18 21:06:58
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,017
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20319496
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/xompeii/pseuds/xompeii
Summary: Jack murmurs something and Sammy thinks he’s still awake. He’s about to ask him something when Jack says softly, “I can’t have coffee with you Mothman.”Sammy spends about 30 seconds holding in a laugh. Then it all spills out.Jack’s suddenly awake. “Sam? What's wrong?”“Just-” Sammy’s face branches out into a grin, “God I just -  You were talking in your sleep.”5 times Sammy caught Jack talking in his sleep, and 1 time he didn't.





	Dreamer in the Dark

1.

Jack falls asleep when they’re studying. Sammy thinks he looks adorable when he’s asleep, so he doesn’t bother trying to wake him up. He just continues taking notes after he goes and grabs a blanket from the closet. 

Sammy realizes he’s falling in love right when he hears Jack talking in his sleep. Jack murmurs something and Sammy thinks he’s still awake. He’s about to ask him something when Jack says softly, “I can’t have coffee with you Mothman.”

Sammy spends about 30 seconds holding in a laugh. Then it all spills out. Loud, and unstoppable. He’s giggling and doubled over, and Jack’s suddenly awake. “Sam?” He sits up a little, “What?”

“Just-” Sammy’s face branches out into a grin, “God I fucking- You were talking in your sleep.”

“Oh,” Jack’s face scrunches up, “I’m sorry, was I bugging you?”

“Not at all,” Sammy says. He ducks his head a bit and has to tell himself he can’t kiss Jack. He’s got a boyfriend right now, and he doesn’t want to ruin that for him, “It was funny.”

“Nathan says I say weird things, was it weird?” Jack turns a bit, frowning, and Sammy doesn’t want to see him upset about this, because, really? It was perfect.

“You told Mothman you couldn’t have coffee with him.” Sammy says, “It was amazing.”

“Mothman?” Jack’s finally smiling.

“You were perfectly clear, just ‘I can’t have coffee with you Mothman’. I’m sorry I woke you up, but it was too good.” Sammy puts a hand on his leg, reassuring him that it’s okay, “If Nathan can’t appreciate the gold that comes out when you talk in your sleep, he doesn’t deserve you.”

Jack smiles, “I’ve probably said something weirder than that.”

“I need a list.” Sammy lets go of his leg and readjust himself, “Cause I think that was amazing, and if you say anything weirder, it’d be priceless.”

“Thanks.”

2.

The first time they share a bed is well before they’re together. Jack invited Sammy for Christmas, and his air mattress deflated. He’d poked Jack and crawled into his bed, assuring him that this wasn’t making him nervous. It wasn’t like he  _ didn’t _ want to sleep with Jack after all. It’s warm in the house, but somehow even warmer tucked into Jack’s side. Jack falls asleep fast.

Sammy lays there and just lets himself think for a while. 

Jack starts mumbling through Christmas carols a little while later. Sammy presses his lips together and forces himself not to laugh. Especially when Jingle Bells turns into the Batman Smells version.

Jack wakes up when Sammy is shaking with laughter. 

“What?” Jack says, wiggling out of Sammy’s grip. He doesn’t question that Sammy was holding him, he just sits up in the dark and squints at Sammy, “What now?”

“You-” Sammy has to actually laugh. “God, you were singing the 12-year-old version of jingle bells.” Sammy ducks his head and lets out the last few laughs he’s got in him.

Jack’s quiet. Maybe he’s too tired to process what Sammy’ said. They had just finished finals after all. “What did I sing?”

“You know? Jingle bells? The Batman smalls one.” Jack makes a noise like he’s annoyed with himself and flops onto the bed.

“UGH.” He swears a few times, “I’m sorry, I guess I woke you up.”

“I hadn’t fallen asleep yet.” Sammy reassures him, “It was, um, kinda cute, actually.”

“No,” Jack says, “It’s not cute. Fuck. You take the bed, I’ll go sleep on the couch.”

Jack makes a move to get out of the bed, but Sammy pulls him back down, “It’s fine, I promise, I can sleep through anything. Who told you that it wasn’t okay anyway?”

Jack’s quiet for a bit longer than Sammy expected. He thinks for a second Jack’s uncomfortable in his arms, his Back pressed into Sammy’s chest, “I- um, Nathan, and Jason. They both told me I needed to stop.”

“They’re wrong,” Sammy says softly. “It’s really nice. Adorable really. You don’t have to apologize for it, you know that right?” Sammy closes his eyes and forces himself not to lean his head up and kiss Jack’s shoulder, “Anyone who doesn’t like it isn’t right for you.”

“Thanks, Sammy,” Jack says softly, “You sure you don’t mind?”

“Your rendition of ‘I’ll be home for Christmas’ is great in your sleep,” Sammy tries to tease in a way that makes sure Jack knows he doesn’t mind, and Jack groans like he’s embarrassed, “It’s good, I promise.”

“You can kick me out if it’s too much, your bed already deflated.”

“I’m not going to.”

“You sure?”

“I’m sure.”

They lay there in silence for a moment.

“Hey, Jack?”

“Hmm?”

“Merry Christmas.”

“Merry Christmas, Sammy.”

3.

Jack falls asleep in his arms after they have sex for the first time. Sammy lies there, exhausted and deeply in love. He’s halfway to sleep when he hears it, “I can’t go to mars right now, Sammy’s here.”

He bursts out laughing. Jack startles back awake and goes still beside him as he lets the laughter die down.

“What was it now?” Jack says. He’s tentative.

“You just said you couldn’t go to mars because I’m here.” Sammy leans over and kisses Jack’s shoulder. He’s smiling, amazed.

“I mentioned you?” Jack says softly. 

“Yeah.” Sammy says, and he pulls him down for another kiss, “It was cute.”

Jack’s quiet for a long moment, “I think- mmm, no, I shouldn’t.”

“Say it, Jack,” Sammy says, “I wanna know what you’re thinking.”

Jack lets out a long breath, “You think I was talking about you in my sleep before this?”

Sammy lets out another little laugh, “Oh no.” He knows exactly what Jack’s thinking now, he knows exactly how Jack might perceive this revelation. “I mean, I’m not complaining if you did.”

“But what if that’s why-”

“You have friends, right Jack?” Sammy runs a hand down his arm, soothing him, “You think I’m going to be jealous when you mention Peter? Or Ashley? Or any of your friends?” He finds Jack’s forehead and kisses it, “I love everything you say when you’re asleep, okay? Mothman to Bigfoot, whoever you’re talking to, it’s great.”

“You-” Jack finally lets himself relax, and Sammy can feel the tension leave his body, “It’s okay if I mention another guy?”

“Totally.” Sammy tells him, “I’m not going to be weird about what you dream about.”

Jack pulls himself closer to Sammy wrapping his arms around him, and sighs, “Thank you.”

“You don’t have to thank me for being understanding.” Sammy says, “Anyone should do this for you.”

“You’re the first person to actually like me talking in my sleep.”

“Well, the rest are missing out.”

4.

Jack is having a stress dream. Sammy can tell because he’d stolen all the blankets. They’d just moved back to San Diego, California, and their tiny apartment was barely furnished yet. Sammy’s exhausted, but he hasn’t been able to fall asleep. He already knows he’s not getting any sleep. 

“Get back,” Jack mumbled. “Back!” He tosses around, and Sammy sits up, “You’re not turning me into a zombie Sammy.”

He knows it’s time to wake him up. Gently, he shakes Jack awake. It takes a minute for him to realize he’s fine, and Sammy hauls him up and has Jack sit between his legs so he can hold him close. “You’re okay, we’re okay, no one’s a zombie.” 

It’s a bit harder for him to tease this time. Since he has an idea of why he might be having stress dreams about turning into a zombie. All things considered, they’re not in the best place. With the new job, and the act Sammy has to put on for it, and Jack joins in too, from time to time. 

“Did I wake you up?” Jack asks, curling into Sammy a bit. 

Sammy leans down and kisses his neck, “I think I’m not going to manage it tonight. It’s fine.”

“You’ve been so stressed out lately, I can always-”

“Hey,” Sammy stops him from blaming himself, “You’ve been stressed out too. Don’t you try and brush off your needs. Okay?”

It takes a moment for Jack to nod. He leans up and kisses Sammy. “We should go find someplace to get pancakes in the morning.”

“Yeah,” Sammy says, “I think I saw something over on University?”

“Mhmm?” 

“It’s not a 24-hour place, but we should go this weekend, and maybe the zoo too.”

“The zoo?”

“We haven’t been there since we visited your parents for Christmas right before we graduated.” 

“Yeah,” Jack says, “Our next day off, we’ll go get breakfast and go to the zoo.”

5.

Jack has been spiraling for weeks. Between the phone calls and skipping work, Sammy doesn’t know what to do anymore. Jack barely comes to bed before Sammy’s already asleep. He’d just gotten back from a trip across the country he hadn’t even told Sammy about. Some book in Atlanta that the seller didn’t want to send through the mail. 

Jack’s not sleeping well, The nonsense that comes out of his mouth is a mix of gibberish and nonsense. Whispers and sudden quiet. 

He’s spoken about shadows a few times now. Sammy almost wonders if he should call Lily, get her help because Jack’s not listening to him.

He’s awake, another one of those nights where worry has him so twisted up that he can’t seem to close his eyes for more than five minutes. So he’s on his side watching Jack’s back because it’s the closest he’s felt to Jack in a while. The engagement ring on his hand catches the light, and Sammy lets out a low breath. Maybe this is all just some sort of breakdown having to do with the engagement. They still haven’t told anyone. Pre-announcement jitters?

He reaches out, but before Sammy can even try to rub soothing circles into Jack’s back, Jack speaks. Sammy almost thinks he’s awake. 

“You’re not taking him.” It’s firm, a threat. Louder than Jack normally is in his sleep. 

Sammy pulls back his hand in shock.

Jack’s back to murmuring about shadows a moment later. 

Sammy shakes his shoulder. Jack bats his hand away, and he tries again to wake Jack up, but he pushes him away. 

Sammy hates himself for getting out of bed. Not trying again. But he’s tired, and Jack just needs to figure out whatever this is and he’ll be fine.

It doesn’t mean Sammy spends a few hours in the kitchen, staring down at Lily’s number scrawled out on a post-it note. 

He should call her before this gets worse.

+1.

Jack is quiet in his sleep. Sammy leans against the doorframe in their apartment. It’s feeling smaller every day. Jack pretty much collapsed onto the bed the second they got home. Taking some painkillers for his broken leg and passing out. His crutches are propped up against the nightstand. 

“How is he?” Lily asks behind him. 

“Quiet.”

Lily makes a face, “You don’t sound like that’s a good thing.”

“He used to talk in his sleep a lot,” He steps aside a bit so Lily can look in. Jack’s unmoving on the bed, aside from the barely noticeable rise and fall of his chest. His hair is bunched back into a bun that he’s already complained about enough. His leg is sticking out, the bright blue of the hard cast in stark contrast to the red comforter. 

It’s a little odd, not to catch the barters with bigfoot, or the arguments with aliens. He’s used to seeing Jack sprawled out and talking in his sleep. He doesn’t want to think about it. What he could have gone through to be so small and still and quiet.

He’s still thankful though, that Jack is here. In his bed. He’d give up Jack’s sleep talk to make sure he never lost him again. He’d give up a lot of things to make sure he never had to spend a day without Jack again. 

His dreamer, somewhere lost in his sleep, hopefully in a place of peace. 


End file.
